They say I’m quiet, like a stream,
Soft-spoken, slow, a fading dream.
But streams carve stone with patient grace,
They shape the earth, they shift the place.
They say I’m small, a passing breeze,
Too light to matter, quick to please.
But breezes stir the tallest trees,
And whisper change across the seas.
They say I’m kind, too much, too fast,
Like kindness makes a person last.
But kindness grows where hate can’t stay—
A stubborn root, a brighter way.
So if I’m quiet, small, or kind,
Don’t think there’s nothing strong to find.
Inside my chest, a stone I keep—
Not cold—but calm, and firm, and deep.
Q1: What is the speaker’s main message in the poem?
Q2: Which lines contain a metaphor for emotional strength?
Q3: What literary device is used in the line: 'But breezes stir the tallest trees'?
Q4: How does the poet use structure to develop the speaker’s argument?
Q5: Which abstract concept is most clearly represented by 'the stone' in the final stanza?
Printable Comprehension Practice
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Q1: What is the speaker’s main message in the poem?
✅ Correct Answer: B
💡 Reasoning: The speaker compares quietness, smallness, and kindness to powerful natural forces, showing they are forms of strength.
Q2: Which lines contain a metaphor for emotional strength?
✅ Correct Answer: B
💡 Reasoning: The 'stone' inside the speaker represents inner strength—solid, calm, and resilient, not weakness.
Q3: What literary device is used in the line: 'But breezes stir the tallest trees'?
✅ Correct Answer: D
💡 Reasoning: The breeze is described as having the power to 'stir' trees, giving it human-like action (personification).
Q4: How does the poet use structure to develop the speaker’s argument?
✅ Correct Answer: B
💡 Reasoning: Each stanza begins with how others view the speaker and ends with a comparison that reveals their hidden strength.
Q5: Which abstract concept is most clearly represented by 'the stone' in the final stanza?
✅ Correct Answer: C
💡 Reasoning: The stone is described as calm, firm, and deep—qualities that symbolize emotional strength and inner confidence.